India has witnessed significant growth in the production and consumption of natural rubber, according to the Rubber Board. India ranks sixth in the world in natural rubber production and second in consumption, said Shri M. Vasanthagesan IRS, Executive Director, Rubber Board. He was speaking at the monthly Inter Media Publicity Coordination Committee (IMPCC) meeting held at the Rubber Board, Kottayam, under the aegis of the Press Information Bureau, Thiruvananthapuram.

Natural rubber production increased from 8,75,000 tonnes in 2024-25 to 9,05,000 tonnes in the financial year 2025-26. Consumption also increased from 14,10,000 tonnes in 2024-25 to 14,27,000 tonnes in 2025-26. India exports rubber products worth ₹47,123 crore. The Rubber Board has formulated several initiatives with the objective of achieving self-sufficiency in production. An allocation of ₹367.52 crore has been made for 2026-27 for the sustainable and comprehensive development of the natural rubber sector.

Rubber cultivation is being expanded across 2 lakh hectares in the northeastern states with financial support from leading tyre companies and through schemes of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (₹6.54 crore). More than 2.47 lakh beneficiaries across Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and West Bengal have benefited from these initiatives. The Board is also collaborating with the Government of Kerala’s KERA project for the replanting of 30,000 hectares of rubber plantations.

The Board’s digital modernisation initiatives are further strengthening the sector. These include the INR Konnect digital platform, which connects agencies, farmers and tapping workers seeking tapping services; mRube, an electronic trading platform for rubber; BSNR, a geolocation and traceability certificate platform facilitating rubber exports in compliance with the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) standards; and specialised branding initiatives to ensure the quality of Indian rubber in international markets.

The Rubber Board has established a network comprising 2,641 Rubber Producer Societies (RPS), 375 Group Processing Centres (GPCs), 113 Self-Help Groups, 73 Tapping Groups and 17 trading/processing companies.

Additional Director General, PIB Kerala-Lakshadweep Region, Shri V. Palanichamy IIS, presided over the meeting. Heads of various Central Government institutions participated in the meeting. The officials also visited the campus of the Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) following the meeting.

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SK

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